Pictured from left to right are Lion President Joe Sykora Jr., Charles (Chuck) Wright TSP and Tomball Lion Secretary Paul Hancock.
The Tomball Lions Club was honored to hear from Charles 'Chuck' Wright a courageous Vietnam veteran who volunteers in many capacities including leading the Tomball Peer Support Group for Combat Veterans at Real Life Ministries Church. One sector of need has become particularly dear to him, that being bringing hope and encouragement to veterans, especially those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Fact: 21 - 26 veterans commit suicide each day due to PTSD
To help combat this, Chuck has formed Trauma and Suicide Prevention - TSP, an organization dedicated to providing advocacy, education, and support for veterans living with PTSD. Chuck is also working on what he is calling a guidebook with testimonials from 15 veterans and 14 non-veterans. The guidebook is to share hope and encouragement to help veterans overcome trauma, thoughts of suicide, and begin to heal.
Chuck gave a presentation about a combat peer group he formed, about the lack of concern by the VA which lead him to seek out an alternative meeting place apart from the VA Tomball Clinic. The need for a meeting place was met by Real Life Ministries church near the VA Tomball Clinic and with this new meeting place, the healing could begin. Chuck went on to emphasize the seriousness of PTSD among veterans of all branches and the alarming number of suicides among veterans every day. Chuck discussed some of the memories he brought home with him from his service in Vietnam and the toll they still take 50+ years later. He said that many veterans of all conflicts suffer from unseen “wounds” from their deployment. Additionally, veterans struggle with uncertainty surrounding the long-term effects of exposure to chemicals used like Agent Orange and the possibility of passing these effects on to their children. Chuck indicated that the 23 members in his peer group gain some solace and support from their frequent meetings, helping them to manage some of the serious issues with which our vets suffer every day.
More information on Chuck and STP Warriors can be found on their website at www.STPwarriors.org
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